ELAINE QUEHL, Quilt Artist, Teacher, Dyer, Designer

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Slowing Down

My boxes of kits and patterns and teaching supplies have been shipped off to the Vermont Quilt Festival where I will be teaching next week. My quilt has also been shipped there for the Teacher Showcase. I am breathing easier and sleeping better these days now that the spaces between teaching trips are a little more reasonable in length and the dyeing of kits has ended for 2016. When I tell you that I dyed more than 500 meters of fabric within about a two month period, I truly do not mean to brag, even though it may appear to some that this is what I am doing. I am just astounded that I did it and survived it, and want folks to know that this IS the reality of being a teacher on the road. Some folks think it is an easy job and a glamorous one, but it is a lot of tough work.

I may have mentioned this before on my blog, but I was travelling home from a teaching trip a few weeks ago when I suddenly thought that I better pay attention to when Easter weekend is. Then I suddenly realized that Easter weekend had passed and that I had spent it in my dyeing dungeon, while my husband spent a chunk of it ironing fabric. The same thing happened on Victoria Day weekend, although by that time I had only about 20 meters left to dye.

I'll tell you another thing. In April I started dreaming about retirement. I even went so far as to have my pension numbers crunched. While that feeling has now passed, I think I need to heed what this dream means: I need to slow down because I don't want to miss my life!

Over the past year or two so many of the things I used to do have fallen away. I missed the deadline to submit work to the SAQA Portfolio. One of my art works has been in each yearly Portfolio since I became a SAQA member in 2007. I also missed the deadline to submit work for the Haliburton faculty show at Rail's End Gallery. I've participated in this show for the last seven years. I didn't get a one-foot square quilt made for the SAQA auction and I've been contributing to that for many years. I haven't entered any shows, and in fact I haven't turned my sewing machine on since January. I've begun to question all my memberships in organizations because I'm not in a place where I can contribute right now, nor in a place to partake of the benefits of membership. For the first time ever, I did not publish my quarterly newsletter this spring.

So I have come to the conclusion that I need some time away from teaching. I have turned down and am turning down any additional requests for teaching for Fall 2016. So this means that after my classes at Haliburton School of Art + Design at the end of July, I will only have two teaching commitments after August 1: 1) a week of teaching in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia (Cherry Tree Quilts retreat) at the end of September, and 2) a private one-day workshop in November. My 2017 schedule is filling up nicely, and in such a way that things are spaced out a bit more comfortablyI will begin dyeing kits in January 2017, if not before, to avoid the crunch I experienced this year. I'm still amazed at the popularity of kits, having never used one myself.

The fact is that it takes quiet time and contemplation to be creative again. I hope to get my mojo back this fall. Actually, I'm already starting to feel stirrings as I am less rushed right now than I have been in months, and ever so thankful that I am sleeping like a baby again :-))

Here's a little funny for you. A friend of mine says I dyed so much fabric this spring that I wore out my laundry sink! Yes, while mixing up dye fixative for the last 20 meters of fabric, the jug slipped out of my hands and landed spout-side-down in my laundry tub, tearing a hole in it! A plumber did a tremendous job of fixing it a few days later.

As I slow down and get more grounded, maybe I'll have more contemplative blog posts, rather than a running travelogue ;-)) My time away from teaching this summer/fall will be divided between time in the studio, vacation time, and professional/personal development. Stay tuned!

8 comments:

  1. Your time is precious. Please take time for yourself. We seem to try to do everything except take time. Retire at least 5 years earlier than planned. The extra time is worth it.

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    1. Time is indeed precious Mary Ann. I am almost 55 and hope to (mostly) retire at 60. That does not mean I might not still teach classes but I will not be keeping the crazy schedule I do now. Much depends on my knees though.

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  2. Very sensible Elaine - taking action (to be inactive!) before you burn out. I'm honoured to be a part of an exclusive group in your private lesson next November! In the meantime - more lunches! All good wishes. Dream on!

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    1. Thank you SOOOOOO much Sue!! I'm honoured that you will be among the group I get to spend time with in November. You are one of a few rare people that have been a huge support to my career. And yes, there will be lots of lunches

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  3. It's important to listen to that inner voice telling you to get back to your passion. I'm sure it will be a relaxing feeling to be in your studio and working on your own work again. We all need time to renew ourselves and you really deserve it!

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    1. Thanks Jeanne. It will probably take a bit of practice to warm up again :-)

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  4. It seems that even your laundry tub is asking you to stop, breath and enjoy of quietness and time for yourself and your beloved ones. Why don't you think about teaching online, from your home ;) you could also sell dyening kits online!
    Enjoy summer!

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  5. Thank you D.PatchTree. I have been thinking about teaching on-line, but have to figure out how to set it all up. Thank you for commenting all the way from Malaga! I visited Malaga two years ago, and loved the area.

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Elaine